A sneak peak into Ambiente's kitchens: In search of good quality flour

Let's start with some rough statistics. Across Ambiente businesses, our annual flour consumption is a staggering 300 tonnes. It wasn't just this figure that gave us the idea to look closely at the quality of grain and flour. It was also the importance of the material for all crafts, from bakers to pastry chefs.

And so, in early January 2023, we said to ourselves that as well as our quests for better beer and meat, we'd go on the journey to better flour. What challenges did we encounter? Who gave us a helping hand? And what did we take away from the finish line? Come along on our flour mission.

Up to the millers and the experts.

If you want to find out as much as you can about flour, you have to go straight to the source – the millers. In under two years, our teams of bakers, chefs and confectioners have visited several Czech mills, such as Střížov, Dubecko and Farm Úlovice.

There, they learned about the types of grain, their characteristics, cultivation and processing. As a result, they gained a better understanding of how the quality of raw materials affects the final product. They also focused on topics such as the origin of the grain, the promotion of local production and sustainable farming methods.

And because the Ambiente family also includes several Italian concepts, some of our colleagues went abroad to explore. In Turin, they met millers and flour experts who shared valuable experience and knowledge – thanks to this visit, we discovered the key parameters in flour, how it is milled in Italy and what to look for when working with Italian flour at home.

Representatives from our individual establishments and creative chefs from UM also teamed up with a number of experts who have varied perspectives on flour. With miller Martin Hutař, they discussed the importance of organic flour and its benefits for health and the environment. Renowned baker Maškrtnica in turn shared important insights into baking and flour quality.

We can't leave out Antonio Carlini head of the bakery in Brno, who shared his extensive experience with Italian flour and trained bakers, pastry chefs, pizza makers and pastry chefs from Ambiente. It was he who also organised the aforementioned trip to Turin, and today supplies flour to our Italian establishments and the Myšák confectionery shop.

We also made an enlightening visit to a gene bank, which involved not only a trip to the laboratory but also to the experimental field.

Time to learn

We like to share what we know. So new knowledge about flour was naturally reflected in the the themes of our craft workshops. Here, colleagues learn from the best in the industry and try out new techniques and approaches.

All the information we have learned so far about flour and flour processing is also being shared through articles on our Food and Joy blog, as well as actively using social networks and media to reach as many people as possible who are interested in quality ingredients and traditional artisanal practices. This information is of course translated into courses that are open to anyone interested in gastronomy.

So, was the mission a success?

Yes, it was! In less than two years, we've been able to reassess our needs and increase the quality of the flour we work with. A key step has been to establish, and in some cases deepen, the cooperation between mills and our businesses, which helps build an efficient system.

An example is the Eska bakery, which receives flour from the Češkov mill in Jarcová, tailored to its specific needs. In turn, the Myšák confectionery, Café Savoy and our Italian concepts have chosen from the Italian mill's offering. And the U Kalendů restaurant found the perfect flour at the Dubecko Mill.

This collaboration allowed us not only to ensure that the flour meets high standards, but also to get to know our suppliers better, and understand where the grain comes from and how it is processed. At the same time, we are able to support predominantly local producers.

Last but not least, we have gained a deeper knowledge of organic grain and a better understanding of its advantages. For example, Eska bakery already uses exclusively organic flour, and you can also buy organic flour from Probio for use at home. At the U Kalendů bakery, you can buy flour from Dubecko Mill, too.

And what's next?

Our journey for better flour definitely isn't over. We continue to educate ourselves and plan further workshops and seminars for our colleagues – plans include an educational seminar named To the Rootsfocusing on flour, and a Chef's Night discussion on grain and flour.

We also intend to spread the knowledge gained through UM's new blog, where, under the tab Grain Mission , you'll find expert articles focused on flour and grain. We also talk about flour on our Food and Joy blog, with a separate page full of not only thoughtful articles but also recipes made with Czech or Italian flour. It's also worth following our social networks, where we share all the news from our establishments.